Is ServiceNow the Prime Candidate to Capitalize on the 466% Robotic Process Automation Growth Forecast?

The robotic process automation (RPA) market is poised for explosive growth, with Grand View Research forecasting a 43.9% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030, translating to a 466% increase in market value by 2030. For investors, the critical question is whether ServiceNow, a leader in enterprise workflow automation, is uniquely positioned to capture a significant share of this expansion.

ServiceNow's Strategic Position in AI and RPA

ServiceNow has emerged as a pivotal player in AI-driven automation, leveraging its platform to unify IT service management (ITSM), customer service, and business operations. By 2025, the company's AI Agents and Now Assist tools have become central to its strategy, enabling 24/7 self-service support, predictive insights, and real-time workflow automation. These capabilities are underpinned by proprietary AI models developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, ensuring robust security and governance.

The company's market positioning is further strengthened by its dominance in ITSM, where it holds a 44.4% market share, supported by a 97% customer renewal rate-a testament to its entrenched client base and high satisfaction levels. ServiceNow's recent launch of the Core Business Suite in 2025 has expanded its AI-driven offerings to HR, finance, and procurement, creating a unified platform for cross-functional automation.

Competitive Landscape: Strengths and Weaknesses

While ServiceNow excels in integration and ecosystem coherence, its competitors-UiPath and Pegasystems-offer distinct advantages. UiPath, for instance, dominates the RPA category with a 14.2% mindshare, driven by its Agentic Automation tools and a marketplace of pre-built workflows. Its AI-driven agents, which score higher in ease of use (9.1 vs. ServiceNow's 8.7) and analytics (8.6 vs. 7.2), are particularly appealing to enterprises seeking rapid deployment.

Pegasystems, meanwhile, has carved a niche with its GenAI Blueprint, accelerating digital transformation for legacy systems. This differentiates it in markets where outdated infrastructure is a barrier to automation. However, ServiceNow's strength lies in its ability to unify workflows across IT, customer service, and business operations, a capability that competitors lack.

Market Validation and Financial Projections

ServiceNow's competitive positioning is validated by third-party assessments. It was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms and the IDC MarketScape for Business Automation Platforms according to industry analysis. These accolades underscore its innovation in AI Agent Fabric and Workflow Data Network, which enable enterprises to govern and scale AI agents across functions as reported in industry publications.

Financially, ServiceNow is on a growth trajectory. Revenue is projected to exceed 20% in 2025, fueled by AI adoption and strong subscription renewals. The company's AI add-ons, including Now Assist, are expected to hit $1 billion in annual contract value (ACV) by 2026, reflecting robust demand for its AI-driven solutions.

Challenges and Risks

Despite its strengths, ServiceNow faces headwinds. Its RPA offerings, while integrated, lag behind UiPath's breadth in standalone RPA tools and process mining. Additionally, the AI chatbot market is becoming increasingly competitive, with platforms like Comm100 and Zendesk offering specialized solutions for high-volume customer interactions. ServiceNow's effectiveness in this space depends on the quality of its knowledge base and integration capabilities, which may require further refinement as noted in industry analysis.

Conclusion: A Strong Contender, But Not Unchallenged

ServiceNow is well-positioned to capitalize on the RPA growth forecast, particularly for enterprises prioritizing unified IT and business operations. Its proprietary AI models, high customer retention, and strategic partnerships with AWS and NVIDIA provide a solid foundation for scaling AI-driven automation according to industry experts. However, competitors like UiPath and Pegasystems offer superior flexibility and specialized tools that could attract niche markets.

For investors, the key is to balance ServiceNow's ecosystem advantages with its relative weaknesses in standalone RPA and customer-facing AI chatbots. While it may not be the sole beneficiary of the 466% market surge, its deep integration and enterprise focus make it a prime candidate to capture a significant portion of the growth.